2012 Volkswagen Jetta

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy

25–32 mpgcombined; city 22–29, highway 29–39; every version of this model year

Five years of fuel

$11,600–$15,480U.S. average; Ohio $10,370–$14,670 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026

NHTSA overall safety rating

4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested

Recall campaigns

6over its history; check a VIN for open ones

Owner complaints

527filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Jetta. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

• GLI
• S
• SE
• SEL
• TDI

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 527 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Jetta. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

1. 2006580
2. 2007201
3. 2008190
4. 2009905
5. 2010875
6. 2011640
7. 2012527
8. 2013632
9. 2014441
10. 2015197
11. 2016164
12. 2017160
13. 201831
14. 2019549
15. 202054
16. 202169
17. 202243
18. 202343
19. 202445
20. 202530
21. 20266

Every Jetta year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2012 Jetta over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,543 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Jetta, the latest on Sep 17, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (522), electrical system (367), engine and engine cooling (296), engine (147), power train (137).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Jetta.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2012 Volkswagen Jettas for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: compact cars. Each version EPA tested:

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Sources and dates

• U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
• NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data